Who has them? My current setup only uses air regulators for each function but there's some irregularities among the product in different bays. Some bays tend to foam a little more and some a little less. Would adding flow meters on each function for each bay allow me to really dial everything in so its consistent?
Flow meters on low pressure functions??
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What pointers do you need? I think I'm about the only one who really likes using flow meters! In my opinion, its the easiest way to make sure the flow rate for each function in every bay is identical regardless of distance from the ER. I have them on soap, wax, foam brush, and pre soak. The flow meters pictured came with the Proline system when new back in the 60's! . I rebuilt all of them with new orings in 2014 and 2017 when I "modded" the pumpstand and haven't had a single issue. I documented the rebuild in the thread below.
(32) Modding an "Old" Mark VII Pump Stand | Car Wash Forum
(32) Modding an "Old" Mark VII Pump Stand | Car Wash Forum
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2biz,
Do you use regulators along with flow meters or just flow meters? Currently I have regulator on air and product that controls all 4 bays. I have some discrepancies in product between my bays. I assume I could leave my current set up the same but after the solenoids going out to the bays I could add flow meters?
Do you use regulators along with flow meters or just flow meters? Currently I have regulator on air and product that controls all 4 bays. I have some discrepancies in product between my bays. I assume I could leave my current set up the same but after the solenoids going out to the bays I could add flow meters?
I don't use regulators for chemical delivery. Regulators are for setting air pressure. You use needle valves to control chemical volume for delivery. I like to use Kip stainless steel solenoids with built in metering valves. I wished Kip made stainless steel solenoid manifolds....The solenoid manifold on PS does erode to where it leaks by the oring face seal after about 4-5 years. I have a layout or plan to change the PS solenoid manifold out with the individual SS Kips when I get around to it.
Your assumption is correct. The flow meters goes between the solenoid and tubing out to the bays. See top picture above for reference. Its very easy to set the volume for each bay to be the same using the needle valves built into the solenoids. It takes "head Pressure" variations out of the equation due to different tubing distances from the ER. I also like flow meters on soap/wax delivery. I set all the bays the same for both soap and wax. People do notice. I get comments/questions all the time as to how are all my bays identical! Quote: "The other washes are not like that!"
PEI
Active member
2Biz I love your attention to detail. I have never seen flow meters used to allow an operator to see how much change they are making as they adjust the needle valves. This is a wonderful way to make that easy.
Thanks! And the beauty of it all, you get a visual reading of the changes you make instead of running back and forth from the ER to the bay. Once you get the first bay set the way you want it, the rest of the bays are easily set the same.
Also note in the top photo for FB and PS, PS is on the right and FB is on the left...Since flow rate for PS is about double that of FB soap, I used 3/8" tubing instead of 1/4"....FB soap uses 1/4" tubing. It is much easier for a flojet to push PS through the 3/8" tubing at the higher flow rate. Also keep in mind, my PS comes out of the same foam gun as the Trifoam....Much easier to push PS through the larger nozzle (4040 or 5050) on the foam gun compared to pushing PS out a HP 2506 nozzle! The performance is night and day different!
2biz,
I’m assuming you only use regulators on the air lines running out to bays and no flow meters?
I’m not sure if my solenoids are adjustable?
Where did you get the bracket that holds your flow meters?
I’m assuming you only use regulators on the air lines running out to bays and no flow meters?
I’m not sure if my solenoids are adjustable?
Where did you get the bracket that holds your flow meters?
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Yes... Its kind of hard to see, but each air solenoid manifold is fed by its own regulator. Pressure is the same for each bay.
If they were, there would be a metering screw on the opposite side of the outlet ports. Looks like your solenoid is Stainless Steel? Do you know the manufacturer? KleenRite lists their Brass Kips as metering and non-metering. Non metering ones are generally used for air.
I was a machinist for 27 years and then Process Engineer/Engineer/Project Manager to finish out my 43 year career....So there are a lot of things I make for the CW that would be too hard and costly to source. Plus its fun to be creative when you have the right tools! The brackets are made out of 1/2" x 2" aluminum...
It helps to have one of these setting in your garage!
Here is a closeup of the brackets during the build of the LP manifolds...The Dwyers have mounting holes on the backside and are bolted through the 1/2" x 2" plate. If you look closely, you can see the metering screws at the base of each liquid solenoid manifold, opposite the outlet ports. The air solenoids do not have metering screws. Note that I made changes from the 1/4" tubing on PS after I ran this setup for awhile. The 3/8" tubing worked a lot better!
soapy
Senior Member
I like to use flow meters also. Ryko had them on their SS stuff 30 years ago and I have always liked them. I even use them in my automatics so I can verify chemical delivery.
I may have misspoke. My regulators are before the Flowjets. I have a single regulator for before a flojet that then leads to a bank of solenoids and then out to the bays for each lp function. The corresponding air for that function goes through a regulator then to a bank of solenoids and out to the bays.
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Your system is correct. The regulator goes before the Flo-Jet pump. That's a nice looking install.
My flow rates to give you an idea on which Flow Meter to get:
Soap and Wax: 10oz per minute flow into the HP pump. I install the appropriate tip in the hydrominder to give me the show I'm looking for at 10oz flow into the pump. So many variables that afects every aspect of this. Water quality is huge. I run zero grain water so I can run very lean and still get great cleaning and show. The flow meters for both soap and wax have a 20oz range. These were OEM to the original Mark VII (Proline) stand. @ 10 oz per minute across the board for soap and wax, its much easier to keep track....Flows are all the same!
Foam Brush: 20 oz per minute. The flow meters for FB have a 50oz range. OEM
Pre-Soak: 25 gallon per hour. This equates to about 50-60 oz per minute. I couldn't find flow meters in this flow range in Oz per minute, so had to purchase flow meters graduated in gallons per hour. Just have to do the math then make all bays the same. 25 gpm seems like a lot, but its really not!
Tri-Foam: no flow meters. I run all the solenoid needle valves wide open since the solenoids have 1/8" orifice. Seems to be very close to the PS at 50-60 oz per minute and flow is good to all bays using 3/8" tubing, so I just never installed them.
Nice looking install as Randy commented. It would be easy for you to mount the flow meters to the wall, just cut the tubing to the bays at the appropriate location, and connect to the flow meters.
A flojet will pump about 5 gallons per minute. For my 4 bay on PS @ 60oz per minute, thats about 2 gpm if all bays are using PS at the same time. Plenty of capacity left for a flojet. I feel you could easily do 6 bays with 1 flojet...
That was part of the original plumbing for the weepmizer. I’ve since disconnected is and added a manual air blow out to all functions.
Let me make sure my math is correct. If you’re flowing 10oz per minute that equals .78 gpm?
10/128=.78
So would something like be acceptable?
Let me make sure my math is correct. If you’re flowing 10oz per minute that equals .78 gpm?
10/128=.78
So would something like be acceptable?
Your Math is off by a decimal! 10oz per minute is .078gpm. or 4.68gph.... Check the pdf below. It shows the different flow meters by PN. The VFB series have a 4" scale, the VFA series have a 2" scale. The ones I use on PS are the VFA-44-SS (no metering valve) 8-40gph or 17-85oz per minute or .13-.66gpm....If you order a metering valve, the pn will have a V at the end (SSV). The one you linked to will have a minimum flow of 64oz a minute to 5 gallons a minute. Way too much flow for anything we need. If you are looking at the 4" scale version, you'll be looking for a VFB-84-SS 6-40gph (12.8oz-85oz per minute) or the VFB-83-SS 1-20gph for soap and wax and possibly Foam Brush (2.13-42.6oz per minute). Similar methodology for the VFA Series....
Math to convert GPH to OZ Per Minute....6gph x 128 /60= 12.8oz per minute.
Math to convert GPH to GPM....6gph/60=.1gpm
I remember not being able to find any Dwyers with oz per minute flow rates. I think they were proprietary to Proline or they discontinued them long ago. Luckily I was able to refurbish the ones I had off the old system and only had to order new ones for PS. Because my flows are much more than OEM. OEM injected PS through the HP hose with a 2506 nozzle at about 10-15oz per minute. I now use the foam gun with a 4040 or 5050 nozzle. So I am able to run more than 50oz a minute which was max on the OEM flow meters. Hope that all makes sense!
Math to convert GPH to OZ Per Minute....6gph x 128 /60= 12.8oz per minute.
Math to convert GPH to GPM....6gph/60=.1gpm
I remember not being able to find any Dwyers with oz per minute flow rates. I think they were proprietary to Proline or they discontinued them long ago. Luckily I was able to refurbish the ones I had off the old system and only had to order new ones for PS. Because my flows are much more than OEM. OEM injected PS through the HP hose with a 2506 nozzle at about 10-15oz per minute. I now use the foam gun with a 4040 or 5050 nozzle. So I am able to run more than 50oz a minute which was max on the OEM flow meters. Hope that all makes sense!
